Sriracha shortages possible after shipments halted

A store shelf sits empty where Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha sauce is normally sold earlier this week at a Jewel-Osco in Avondale. (Charlie J. Johnson)

Sriracha lovers across the country fumed when a judge ruled in November that manufacturer Huy Fong Foods must cease any odor-emitting chili production at its Irwindale, Calif., plant blamed by residents of the town for a rash of sore throats, burning eyes, nosebleeds and other maladies.

While it was unclear then how drastically the judge' s order would affect production of the Thai style red chili paste, it seems Sriracha lovers decided not to take any chances and quietly began stocking up on the sauce, an item already in high demand. Large chunks of empty shelf space appeared in many Chicago stores, including Jewel-Osco stores on Western, Southport and Elston Avenues, as well as a Wal-Mart in the suburbs.

Wednesday, the news got worse for Sriracha fans. Huy Fong Foods cannot ship any more hot sauce for 30 days, leaving it likely that stocks of Sriracha in Chicago will continue to dwindle.

“The frustrating thing is it’s such a high-demand item, we’re already having a hard time actually keeping it in our stores,” said Allison Sperling, a Jewel-Osco spokesperson. “We have enough in our warehouse that should carry us through a normal order cycle, had there not been this hold. Now, all of sudden if there’s this hold and the customers are running to the stores to buy it because of the hold and they’re wiping out our shelves, we’re going to run through the supply that we have that should have normally lasted these four weeks.”

While Huy Fong Foods makes three hot sauces, Sriracha, Sambal Oelek and Chili Garlic, Sriracha is the rock star of the trio. Its iconic green cap tops a clear bottle bearing a white rooster and foreign lettering that jumps off the near fluorescent crimson of the sauce. Large bottles of the stuff dot most Thai and Vietnamese restaurant tables. Sriracha tattoos, baby clothes and other homemade fan memorabilia abound on the Internet. The sauce's flavor and color has inspired everything from Sriracha ice cream to potato chips to vodka.

“The growth of Sriracha has just absolutely exploded, particularly over the last eight to ten months,” said Yakov Yarmove, who is in charge of ethnic foods for Jewel.

Right now, it’s not so much that there’s no Sriracha available in Chicago, just that the supply cannot seamlessly keep up with Sriracha's ever higher demand. On any given day, shoppers in areas where the product is especially popular might find an empty store shelf, or they might find it mostly stocked. When Yarmove heard rumblings of a potential Sriracha shortage, he placed an order for extra bottles that he is told is enroute to Jewel’s warehouses.

Even so, if restaurant supply companies begin to run short, driving restaurant owners who normally buy their Sriracha in bulk into the grocery store, Sriracha stocks would go even faster, industry insiders say. And with most Chicago-area Dominicks stores closing by Dec. 28 there will only be fewer places to find the sauce in the weeks ahead. Something of a perfect storm of an increased number of shoppers buying more bottles at fewer locations means shelves will likely empty quickly and stay empty for longer periods of time.

“Some people use it as an ingredient. Some use it as a condiment. People who use it as an ingredient are understandably a bit more worried,” said Tupper.

Restaurant Depot also supplies large quantities of Huy Fong’s Chili Garlic and Sambal Oelek chili pastes that many restaurant kitchens use in large quantities and says chefs and restaurant owners are quite concerned about losing access to those as well. Tupper says he doesn’t expect to run out but his company will be looking out for unfamiliar customers making abnormally large orders of Huy Fong products to ensure they can meet the needs of their regular clients.

According to Tupper, hundreds of food product shortages occur every year and almost never reach the public consciousness. That clients are fretting along with everyday consumers speaks to the quality of Huy Fong's products and the near cult-like dedication of Sriracha lovers toward "rooster sauce."

A similar run on Maker's Mark bourbon was seen earlier this year after the company announced it would be lowering the alcohol content from 90 proof to 84 to meet growing demand. Fans flocked to get their hands on the stronger stuff, leaving much empty shelf space before the company ultimately reversed its decision after a throng of customer complaints and social media backlash.

Faced with a potential run on Sriracha, Yarmove was asked if there were any plans to raise the price of the product at Jewel-Osco stores.